Finding Who I Am
by Hate.is.a.passionate.emotion
Summary: Melanie has been abandoned by her mom and her brother comes to save her. Can she make it in the new town, school, and family?
1. 1: My Brother

1. My brother

My mom had abandoned me in the little blue house with white shutters. My name is Melanie and I'm 16 years old. This isn't the first time she had just taken off. Usually she's only gone for a few days but it had been a whole 2 weeks. I was getting everything done that I needed, all my schoolwork and my job. I had a next to nothing pay at the local grocery store that didn't pay the bills that Mom had left. Now I was alone in a dark house with no food while my mom was probably off partying in god knows where. She hadn't called or tried to contact me in anyway to make sure I was all right. Maybe she's not coming home this time. What was I going to do then?

As I was thinking about this my crappy cell phone that hardly gets any reception rang. I looked at the screen it was my brother that I hadn't talked to in years.

*******

My brother abandoned me when he met a girl right out of high school and married her. When I got upset and asked him why he was leaving me all he said was that he had to get away from all this. That he'd had enough of mom. So I figured out that I was on my own the day we packed all Rennie's stuff up and put it in his car. He told me we would always keep in touch but it's been two years since he left. I had seen Rennie only once during that time and that was the first Christmas, he came to celebrate but that was all. We hadn't even been invited to his wedding.

*******

A lump in my throat formed when I thought about him never keeping contact with me. I took a deep breath and answered the phone.

"Melanie??? Are you there?" Rennie asked in a very worried tone.

I hope my voice wouldn't sound shaky as I answered him, "Yeah, it's me."

"Thank god!" he sounded relieved like he was really worried about me, "I've been calling the house phone for three days now but it's disconnected or something. What's going on? Is mom there?" He was firing all these questions at me like I was being interrogated.

I couldn't answer right away I was still trying to get a grip on my shaky voice, "Yeah I'm alright," was all I could force out. He probably suspected something.

"No, I don't think so. There's something you're not telling me," he said in a wary tone.

There was no way I was going to be able to lie to my brother, he knew me too well. I sucked in a deep breath and told him, "Mom left again but …" I couldn't finish I just sat down and started crying. I hadn't really cried in years! Every time my mother left I had been able to contain myself because I knew she would come back, but this time she'd been gone a long time and then my brother called. I just cracked.

"Melanie, it's okay. I'm here," his voice had turned soothing but it didn't really help because he had never been there for me. I wasn't sure that could change. "I'm coming to get you just hold on."

I wasn't really listening at that point. I couldn't make sense of what Rennie had just said. I was thinking about mom and how she doesn't even care and why Rennie had all of a sudden picked up the phone and called his lone lost forgotten sister.

I was wiping the tears out of eyes when I herd the tires of a car driving up the gravel driveway to my house. Even though I herd the knock on the front door as clear as day I still just sat there. Then the door opened. We still had the spare key in exactly same hiding place as when Rennie still lived here.

"Melanie, are you here?" he asked.

I didn't want to answer for some reason. I just sat against the side of my bed waiting for him to find me. He walked in to my room then and just sat down beside me saying nothing.

We must have sat there for 2 hours when his phone started ringing.

"Hello," he said in the same tone he had used with me. I couldn't hear what the other person said.

"Yeah I'm fine. I'm with her right now." So they were talking about me. I would bet money that he was talking to Tory, his wife.

"Yeah we'll be home in a little bit." He paused for a minute then said, "Okay, I will. Love you. Bye." He hung up the phone and looked at me.

"Okay grab what you want and your coming with me." He ordered me in a very serious voice.

I was a little stunned, but I recovered enough to say, "What?"

He didn't answer me but stood up and started gathering my clothes. I just sat there and stared at him. I didn't care if he took all my stuff I wasn't going with him. I hadn't even seen him in 2 years! Why was he doing this now? My mind was racing to come up with an answer but I couldn't think of anything.

My brother left the room with two bags of my stuff. He was only gone for a couple minutes and then came back. He walked right up to me without missing a single beat and scooped me up in his arms. He carried me like a baby all the way out to his car. Then plopped me down in the passenger seat and buckled me. I probably look like I was in a coma because I hadn't moved or even blinked. I just stared at the pretty little blue house as we backed out of the driveway and felt very sad. This was my home.

We didn't talk the whole way. I didn't trust my voice to ask the questioned that was on the tip of my tongue.

Rennie was the first to speak, "I'm so sorry Melanie!" He almost cried. What did he have to be sorry about? None of my questions had been answered just more brought up. "I had no idea that things would get this bad when I left." Oh so that's what he was talking about. Well it wasn't that bad, was it?

We were turning into a rich looking subdivision, were all the houses were humungous and all the lawns were perfectly mowed. I finally talked, "Where are we going?"

"Um, this is Tory's and my house," he said sheepishly while turning into what had to be the biggest house in this whole place.


	2. 2 New

Disclaimer: I don't own any of what anyone might consider not my ideas. Haha that didn't really make since but whatever.

A/N: Thanks for everyone that has reviewed and sorry it's taken so long the write the next chapter. If you have any suggestions for this story please review and tell me thanks!!! Love you all!

2. New

My brother had already gotten all my stuff out of the car and started walking up the path, while I sat stunned in the passenger seat of the car. I couldn't believe how big this house was. Everything was going to change and I knew it. I was going to have a new family, a new house, new school, and I didn't even know if I would see my mom ever again. The other new thought in my head was that I didn't even know that I wanted to see her ever again, and that scared me more than anything.

Rennie stopped about halfway up the walkway and looked back at me. I took in a deep breath and stepped out of the car. I started walking towards him and when I reached him he took my hand like he use to when we were little and I was afraid to do one of his crazy ideas. Right then I thought back to a day when everything was perfect.

*************************

My hand was held tight by Rennie's as we walked into the dark forest in the middle of the night. He really wanted to go to the circus that day but or mother wouldn't take us. So we snuck out in the middle of the night and were determined to go see the elephants. But as we reach the dark edge I got scared and stopped in my tracks. After Rennie had taken a few steps he looked around to find me and when he spotted me he walked back to meet me and took my hand. "Mel, it's okay. Don't you want to go see the elephants?" And that's all it took to make me walk in to the shadowy forest with him.

We walked about 5 miles up the road when a car's bright headlights started shining in our eyes. The car started to slow down next to us and the person inside rolled down the window. "Oh my god! How could you two do this to me! Rennie and Melanie get in the car now!" Our mom yelled at us, "What the hell were you thinking?"

***************

I was pulled back into the present when Tory opened the door and said, " Hello Melanie, Where so happy to have you here! How are you?"

"Fine. Thank you," I replied with not even close to the same enthusiasm she gave off. With that she led me inside and my brother's hand slipped out of mine. Tory slid here arm around my shoulder but if didn't work that well because I am a whole head tall so she gave we a tight squeeze and let me go.

Tory led me up to my new room. "We didn't know what color you would want your room to be so we left that up to you to decide. And you've go a big closet over there," she point to the left side of the enormous room, " You also have your own bath room. It's through that door over there," she pointed to the door on the right this time. "Our bed room is right across the hallway, and I hope this is okay?" she asked.

"Oh yea, thanks," was I could mange to say. My brother walked by us now to but my bags in my new room.

"Oh is that all you brought?" Tory asked and when I just nodded she said, "Okay well maybe tomorrow if you want to we could go shopping at the new mall."

"Yea, sure we can go."

"Okay I think we should let Mel get settled now," Rennie directed towards Tory. She nodded and left the room. "You okay, Mellsie?" He asked using my nickname I hadn't heard in years.

"Yea, I guess everything is just so new to me here. I don't know what to think."

"Yea, I know that feeling. But I promise you it will get better." He reassured me as he rapped his arms around me.

A/N: Sorry it's such a short chapter but I'll get the next one up soon. Hope you liked it and please review!!!!!


	3. Chapter 3: First day in a new family

Disclaimer: I don't own whatever I don't own.

A/N: I am sooooooo sorry it's been such a long time since I've gotten this chapter up, I just haven't had that much inspiration and I feel really bad about letting it go soo long. I'll try to update regularly now! Okay hoping this chapter is long. You can always give me suggestions! (: Please review. Thank you!

3. First Day in a New Family

I woke up the next morning to the sound of Tory calling my name. "Melanie! Melanie?" She was yelling really her voice was just a little louder than she normally talked. I rolled over and looked at the alarm clock. 8:33. I groaned and got out of bed. I walked to the door and opened it. I didn't realize that Tory would be standing right there so when I walked out to tell her I'd be right there, I ran in to her and knocked her to the ground.

"Oh my god, Tory, I'm so sorry!" I said quickly trying to help her up, hoping she wouldn't be mad.

"Oh it's alright. It was my fault anyway," she said calmly. How could it have been her fault? She didn't do anything wrong. Well except for waking me up at an ungodly hour but I'm sure she has a good reason for that. That reminded me.

"What did you need?"

"I just came to tell you to get ready to go shopping with me because Tomorrow you start school and I thought you might want to get some new clothes," she said all in one breath.

"Okay, I'll be ready in a little bit. Just let me take a shower." She nodded and walked away. I walked to my small suitcase because I hadn't bothered to put away my clothes the night before and picked out some clothes. Then I walked to the bathroom. I turned on the shower and I felt the hot water steam up the bathroom right away. This is just what I need to calm down. I stripped down and stepped in the hot water. It felt so good. I was think of everything and how I really don't want to go shopping right now but then I thought that this would be a good way to finally get to know Tory.

Yea this will be a good thing… I hope.

I finished washing myself and reluctantly got out of the hot water but I didn't want to be rude and make her wait. I pick up a warm towel from a stack that had been set out for me. When I got dressed I realized I need new clothes especially if I wanted to fit in at my new school. Well do I really want to fit in? I wasn't really sure at the moment. I finished getting ready and went down the stairs to find Tory on the couch reading a book.

"Okay, are you ready?" she asked as soon as I came into her view.

"Yea, where are we going to go to go shopping?"

"I was thinking the new mall just a couple of minutes away. Is that okay?"

"Yea that's fine," I said but I'm not all entirely sure I want to go shopping with Tory. This is probably going to be a really long day.

We got to the mall in a matter of minutes like she said we would. I when we got in the mall Tory asked if I wanted a cup of coffee and I agreed because I was starting feel tired from getting up so early. Then we headed for a big department store I had never heard of. We looked around for a while and I was actually having fun. Until she said, "Okay time to try all this stuff on!" There were already so many clothes in her hands; this was going to take forever!

It had been 5 hours and Tory still insisted that we weren't done even though I had told her many times that we had enough clothes to last me the entire school year with out having to ever wear an outfit more than once! Also Tory had not looked at a single thing for herself, it was all about me she had said, but I wasn't sure I was liking this much attention. To say the least I was getting in a pretty bad mood and I felt bad because she was doing so much for me and I was being unappreciative but I had to get away, at least for a few minutes. I told her, "Tory, I need to use the restroom really quick. I'll be right back." I didn't even wait for her to say okay, I just took off in the opposite direction.

I was trying to get away as fast as possible without running so I would hurt her feelings and I looked back to see what her reaction was. I wasn't looking where I was going because if I had I would have notice this guy jogging right towards me not looking either. We ran into each other and since he was a lot bigger than my 5 foot 2 and 110 lbs, he fell on top of me. As we were falling he realized what had happened and tried to catch me so I wouldn't hit my head on the hard floor but it still hurt nonetheless. If I hadn't been in a bad mood earlier I definitely was now! It had been 30 seconds and he still wouldn't get off me and he hadn't said a word. When you knock someone over isn't it considerate to get up right away and say you're sorry?

"Excuse me, but can you please get off of me!" I snapped harsher than necessary. He seemed to be pulled back to this world then and got up and held a hand out to me.

"I'm so sorry about that, let me help you up," he said it so sincere, but at the moment I could have cared less. I ignored his had and got up myself. "Okay," He said tucking his hand in his pocket. If I hadn't been so mad I would have thought he was incredibly good looking, which I did but I wasn't in the mood to flirt and I had to get away. As I was brushing myself off he kept talking to me, " I'm John. What's your name?" I didn't answer and just stalked away leaving him staring after me and I didn't look back.

JPOV

I couldn't believe what had happened! I was walking around the mall with my friends and we were throwing around one of those little bouncy balls you from a gumball machine. I was looking at Mark as he caught the ball most likely throwing in to me next when I hit someone. As we were falling I tried to stop her from falling on he head at least because I was already going to squish her. I was noticing how pretty she was even with an annoyed look on her face but I didn't think that could have anything to do with me falling on her. All I could she were her entrancing deep blue eyes that seemed to hold my gaze forever and then her lips, her beautiful red lips that I instantly wanted to kiss even though I had never met this girl in my life! I was in a daze when she snapped at me to get off of her. I didn't know how long I had been on top of her with my arms wrapped around her. I quickly came out of my amazing daydream of her lips on mine and stood up and held my hand out to her. She ignored my hand and seemed to look at me for a second. Usually girls swooned when they first saw me and I'm not saying I always like that either. I had to deal with them hanging all over me when we went to parties and it got annoying after awhile but I thought right now it could work to my advantage.

She got up and brushed herself off and I said, "I'm John. What's your name?" laying on the charm. But she stilled looked really annoyed and mad. She didn't answer me and stalked off. I just stared after her for a couple minutes until I felt a ball hit the back of my head hard.

"Earth to John! What's up with you man?" Archie yelled at me as he was walking up to me followed by Mark and Noah. I was still staring after her and Archie waved his hand in front of my face. "Hello? Dude? I can't believe you landed on that girl! She looked pissed! But she was also hot, did you get her number?"

"No, I didn't even get her name. She didn't say a single thing to me and just walked away."

"Well maybe your just not as good as you think you are and that dazzling stuff you do only works on girls around here. I've never seen her before," Noah said laughing.

"No I can definitely get her, no problem," I reply trying to boost my ego even though I was actually sure. She was different from any other girl I've ever dated. I never had to chase them they always came up to me. This was going to be a challenge but I wouldn't give up!

"Do I hear a bet?" Mark challenged.

"Oh yea!" I replied slapping hands.


	4. Chapter 4 Knocked over

A/N: Hey everyone! I'm so proud of myself for getting a chapter up this fast! I'm going to try to get one more up before the end of this week because next week is fair and I won't be able to be on a computer that much. So I hope you like this and if you have any suggestions then please tell me or if you want something to happen in the story. Thanks (:

Chapter 4: Knocked Over

JPOV

I'm not sure why I was still feeling so strongly for this girl that I saw for 5 minutes. I mean really, she hadn't even spoken one word to me. So I was very confused as to why this girl, that I didn't even know at all, could affect me so much. I couldn't get those smothering eyes out of my head, or her perfect, so inviting lips. I was in my own little world again and all of a sudden Archie was yelling at me, interrupting my glorious thoughts that would be etched in my memory forever.

"John, there's a car there! Hello, are you trying to get us in a car crash?"

"Oh, sorry guys I forgot that I was driving for a second," I tried to console them, but that even sounded stupid to me!

"Man, what's up with you today? Ever since you knocked that girl over you've been in a daze. Did you knock your head to hard on something?" Mark asked in a mocking tone.

"No," I scowled at him; "I just can't get her out of my head." I don't know why I was telling them all this, they were just going to make fun of me even more than they already were today.

"Dude, you're whipped!" Noah laughed. "What did she say to you?"

"Absolutely nothing! That's part of my problem!" I said aggravated with myself for telling them anything. They just kept making jokes and snickering the rest of the way home. I just blocked them out and thought of the girl again.

MPOV

After I walked away from that john boy or whatever his name was I was fuming! How could someone be so unobservant as to knock someone completely to the ground? Well if I was being fair I wasn't looking where I was going either but that didn't matter, I was still mad at him. I walked to the bathroom. Luckily no one else was in there so if I started to cry no one would hear or see me. Crying was an extreme possibility right now because when I got mad I start crying. I looked at myself in the mirror; my face was all red from everything that had happened. I tried to calm myself down by taking deep breaths. When my face returned to its normal color I walked out of the bathroom and saw a smoothie place. I stopped by and got two raspberry smoothies. Then I walked back to the store.

When I gave Tory her smoothie she was very grateful, "Oh Melanie, thank you so much! I forgot what time it was. You must be starving! I'm sorry I was having so much fun shopping with you that I lost track of time. Your brother is probably home already and he'll want dinner soon so we should go." That made me feel better and I was pretty hungry, too.

When we got home Tory apologized to Rennie for being late but he really didn't mind and then she got right to work making dinner. I took all my new clothes up to my room, I was amazed that I could get them all in one trip. When they were all put away in my oversized closet I decided to go for a run, which I hadn't done in a while and was probably out of shape. Running always cleared my head and that's exactly what I needed right now.

I changed in to a sports bra and some athletic shorts and pulled my hair up in a ponytail. I grabbed my ipod and went down stairs.

"I'm going to go for a run. Is that okay? I won't be long, I'll be back for dinner," I told Tory.

She smiled at me and said, " Sure, have fun." I walked out the door, put my headphones in and picked my favorite band Sherwood. I kept my pace to the beats of _The Only Song_. My head was starting to clear and I was only a few houses down when I saw something that brought back all my anger.

Across the street from me was the guy that knocked me over today at the mall. He was mowing the lawn hat had this massive house, even bigger that Rennie's and Troy's house. He was on a fancy tractor and had his shirt off. He looked even better with his muscles defined. No! Stop, I can think that, I was supposed to be mad and I was! Just as I was turning my head away so he wouldn't catch me staring, his eyes met mine. Crap! He stopped his tractor and hopped off. Not good! Please don't come follow me, I thought. He started jogging after me and I pretended I hadn't seen him and just ignored him. He caught up to me and I think he was trying to say something to me, but I couldn't hear him because of my music. So I just gave up. I stopped running and turned my music off.

"Hey, I'm John, remember me?" He said flashing me his dazzling smile. I was momentarily lost for words. I couldn't let that affect me!

"Yea, you're the guy that fell on top of me. How could I forget?" I told hem with a sweet sarcastic voice. He just laughed and smiled again seeming untroubled.

"Yea it was pretty memorable, wasn't it? Anyway you never did tell me your name. I'm glad I ran into you, I've been wondering all day!"

"Yea, I guess I didn't tell you my name and I think we should leave it that way," I told him and started putting my headphones in. I was trying really hard not to stare at his perfectly sculpted chest. I'm pretty sure he noticed too, because he started to smirk.

"Well how am I supposed to find you again if I don't know your name?"

"I think that's the point of me not telling you."

"You're breaking my heart here!" he whined playfully.

"How can I be? You don't know me at all!"

"You could start by telling me your name."

"It's Melanie. But I have to go so bye!" I yelled over my shoulder as I jogged off.

"Okay, I'll see you soon, Melanie," he yelled after me and waved. But I really doubted we would ever see each other again.

A/N: Okay that's that! So please review if you want more!


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